By Rex Mphisa.
Manesi Amidu, 29, from Malawi is stranded at Beitbridge.
He is penniless and in haste left his Pietermarisburg domestic job in South Africa as the rogue citizens-led March And March June 30 deadline for foreigners to clear out of South Africa (SA) ticks closer.
He dropped on the SA side of Beitbridge but was tricked to use an illegal crossing point because of “how difficult it is to go through the border”.
Thats how he was robbed of R1 200 by maguma-guma, notorious criminals who take people across the river for a fee but more often than not turn hostile to rob, rape and maim unsuspecting returnees.
Now, Amidu is stranded at Dulibadzimu bus terminus and his phone, hidden in his pants when he sensed trouble, has gone flat rendering it useless to contact any help back home.
He smiled unbelievably wide to a R20 “lift” for a drink and phone charging.
“Thank you, I wish I could call you later,” he said, gratitude and relief written all over his worried weary, unbathed face, tired from sleeping in the cold open for two days.
On departure from his work of a year he had no money or time to carry his hifi and television sets, pots, a bed and a few belongings he might never see again.
He is like to thousands foreigners from Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabweans facing citizen-led ejection fron South Africa whose government turned a blind eye on.
“Many people from my country are coming,” he said.
Amidu is part of the humanitarian crisis loading at Beitbridge.
As at last week thousands of Zimbabweans and Malawians started the Great Trek north, and most voluntarily, in fear of June 30 March and March reprisals.
Regional Immigration Head at Beitbridge Joshua Chibundu said last week there were 3 000 Zimbabwean arrivals on an arranged repatriation on a single day.
“We have had many returnees, some coming voluntarily. We also had some 3 000 assisted to come back home,” he said.
Many people are coming back home empty handed, desperate and broken.
And these crowds of returnees are of mixed fortunes, some with and others without capacity to fund their ways back home.
Some will turn to crime, prostitution and all desperate moves by the stranded.
“People must be alert. If only they could be taken to their respective districts. There has been a increase in robberies but I am away at the moment, I cannot say much,” the officer commanding Beitbridge Police District Chief Superintendent Mesuli Ncube said.
True to his words, people are living in drains, manholes, verandas – you name it.
There are many groups of people at bus stops, hiking spots and different spots along the Harare and Bulawayo roads from Beitbridge.
On Saturday officials from the Department of Social Welfare were in Beitbridge where earlier the Permanent Secretary for the parent Ministry visited Beitbridge for a closed meeting over an anticipated influx of returnees.
A social commentator appealed to residents to help the returnees.
“Give them water, food or even left overs, they are our brothers, they are desperate help them and if they turn to crime bear with them, they are in trouble from where they are coming from,” said the commentator.
Government yesterday said it increased police manpower in Beitbridge in reaction to the influx.
“Two days ago Government increased the police force in Beitbridge and if need be I will discuss with the Provincial head of the Zimbabwe Republic Police for a beef up,” said Matabeleland South Minister Of Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe.
“Those assisted are arriving at the Social Welfare Reception Centre and getting buses to their provinces,” he said. He said Government is monitoring th situation.
The lengths and breadth of Beitbridge town is a hive of activity as the people who trekked down south are trekking up north in a modern day Great Trek or Mfecane.
The current human movement upheaval witnessed at Beitbridge is historic and will for many years be spoken about, the way Wenela Mining exoduses remain famous.
Architects of the March and March, focusing on protesting against illegal immigration and the employment of foreign nationals, founded by Ngobese-Zuma, has set a deadline for all undocumented immigrants to leave the country and demands that local businesses disclose their foreign national employment figures.
Core demands and actions target date of June 30, 2026 now has mixed expectations with several climbdowns after government allocated R600 million to fight it with several withdrawals by leaders of various chapters, but many immigrants have already run away with dear life.